The Sindh government has turned down a demand by the Dairy Farmers Association (DFA) to raise the retail price of milk to Rs. 300 per liter and warned that action would be taken if prices were increased unilaterally.
Speaking during ARY News show “Bakhabar Savera”, Advisor to the Sindh Government, Sadia Javed, has made it clear that the administration would not bow to pressure from dairy farmers.
she said that although milk price in most parts of the country is already above Rs. 200 per litre, the Sindh government wants to maintain the current rate.
Sadia added that a final decision on pricing has not yet been made. It was decided in the meetings at the Commissioner’s Office that milk quality would first be checked before setting a price.
Sadia Javed further stated that dairy farmers remain stubborn about raising prices, but the government will take action if anyone increases rates unilaterally.
Dairy Farmers Association cautioned:
Meanwhile, the Dairy Farmers Association spokesperson Ghulam Shabbir Dar has warned to announce the association’s next course of action on 11 October if its demand for price adjustment is not implemented.
He explained that farmers were compelled to demand an increase in milk prices to Rs. 250 per litre, warning that if their concerns were ignored, they would launch protests after 11 October and approach the courts.
He advised that if farmers were sidelined, milk prices could rise to as much as Rs. 400 per litre by 2026.
Ghulam Shabbir Dar has said the cost of production had risen sharply, with fodder prices climbing from Rs. 500 to 600 mound to as high as Rs. 1,200. He added that farmers were struggling to meet livestock expenses.
Conversely, provincial advisor confirmed that the Commissioner of Karachi is in constant contact with dairy farmers and that a committee with representatives from different departments has been formed to resolve the issue through dialogue.
DFA Rejects Claim of Advisor
Contradicting the advisor’s statement, the spokesperson for the DFA rejected the claim, asserting that their representative had not been included in the committee. “The product belongs to us, therefore a representative of dairy farmers must be part of the committee,” he insisted.
He explained that farmers were compelled to demand an increase in milk prices to Rs. 250 per litre, warning that if their concerns were ignored, they would launch protests after 11 October and approach the courts.
The Sindh government advisor, Sadia Javed warned that further price hikes would put milk beyond the reach of ordinary citizens already burdened by inflation.
She added that the government does not expect the courts to rule in favor of dairy farmers and stressed that the matter should be resolved through consensus.
Sadia Javed also stated that the Sindh Food Authority had recently seized 127 liters of milk, of which 71 liters were believed unsafe and destroyed, while several shops were sealed and fined. The highest number of adulterated samples came from Karachi’s Lea Market.
Earlier, the Dairy Farmers Association had threatened to raise prices unilaterally to Rs. 300 per litre from 11 October. A meeting at the Commissioner’s House in Karachi to decide milk prices ended without agreement, as farmers, wholesalers and retailers all urged the government to issue a fresh notification.
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